Every year around this time, the Greater Houston Partnership holds an event to talk about the impact of the city's sports teams on the local economy.
On Thursday, it was focused entirely on the Super Bowl next February.
Ric Campo, chairman of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, said the big game is a driver for projects such as Midtown Park, where ESPN plans to set up camp for its coverage, or the Marriott Marquis downtown.
"Without the Super Bowl, it doesn't get built," he said. "Same with the George R. Brown improvements and the Avenida's improvements (and) the Partnership Tower. All those projects just around the George R. Brown is nearly $1 billion, and the Super Bowl was the impetus to get it all done in time for the Super Bowl."
Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes agrees. He said all the development that's happening around the Super Bowl now will benefit the city for decades to come.
"We're pleased that the Super Bowl is a catalyst of development in our community," he said. "Things that we need to do to really maintain our position as a great global city."
The last time Houston hosted the Super Bowl, in 2004, the event brought the opening of MetroRail's Red Line and improvements to Main Street.
Super Bowl LI will take place on Feb. 5.
The Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau expects more than one million fans to take advantage of the 10 day-long festivities surrounding the big game.
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